The contents of my handbag have changed a lot since becoming a Mum; I used to just carry only what I thought I would need for that day in my bag, now I carry everything I think I might need for every eventuality including civil war and a zombie apocalypse.
There are a few things that I carry for me that I never leave home without, often nestled in the bottom of my bag under the emergency snacks and spare clothes and random toys that I find in the footwell of the car and forget to deposit in the house.
These are things that remind me I’m still me and that not everything revolves around the little person in your life; they’re items that keep me organised, connected and feeling good.
iPhone
I mean does anyone ever leave the house without their phone these days anything but for me it’s not so much about being contactable; it’s not even about needing to be on social media whilst I’m out, it’s about having a camera with me at all times.
I’m obsessed with taking photos of Amelia, she’s going to hate me once she realises what I’m up to all the time but I just love catching moments with her, of her doing new things or cute things or silly things. My 12,000 photos in my camera roll will tell you I don’t go anywhere without my phone!
There are certain times when I will take my proper Canon camera with me, like trips to the park or to a specific even but if we’re just going out and about I don’t take it because it’s bulky to carry and I’m worried it’ll get broken. Which is odd because my phone is more expensive (as are most phones) but I feel more protective of the camera, maybe because it’s still new so a lot of the time it’s iPhone camera all the way for me.
Lip Balm
Since it became warmer I’m in less need of lip balm everyday but when the weather is horrible I get really sore dry lips so I’m constantly applying balm. My current favourite is the Strawberry Sorbet by EOS, it tastes so good I end up having to reapply it all the time because I like it off.
Amelia has even started to copy me and makes the motion of rubbing her lips when she sees me doing it, I’ve let her practice a little with the lid on but she’s learnt to open it now and I caught her the other day trying to rub it in her hair.
2018 Diary
Yes I know we have calendars in our phones but this year I’ve decided to go old school and have a proper paper diary and I love it. I can see what I’ve got coming up for the whole week and it’s really helped me to plan and keep on top of my blog work as well as appointments and play dates.
It doesn’t hurt that my diary is super cute this year too, I found this little gem in T K Maxx but it’s by a company called Eccolo and it’s the perfect shade of pink blush and gold.
Hand Cream
My absolute must have skin care item is hand cream. I can live without facial moisturisers and eye bag creams but hand lotion is a must for me. I find my hands get so dry during the day which is partly due to the weather but mostly because we have horrible hard water down in the south and it dries out my skin terribly.
My favourite hand cream is from Clarins but I’m also partial to pretty much any cream that smells good and doesn’t make my hands all slippery.
A large scarf
This might sound weird given how lovely the weather is at the moment but I wear scarves all year round. I just change the thickness of them to suit the season, a lightweight one for summer to keep me warm when the evening chill sets in or if we go to the beach and the sea air is too cold for my liking.
I also love scarves as accessories, I think they can make any outfit more interesting and add colour to otherwise boring clothes. If you get caught out they also act a great cover up for little ones if you need a blanket to keep them warm too so they’re really a multi-purpose accessory and that’s my excuse for buying so many.
These are my five favourite things in my handbag that I never go out without, I love them and they make me feel like me in a sea of baby wipes, snacks, sippy cups and unwanted toys.
What do you carry to make you feel like you?
Rachel xx
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